Anybody have any ideas on what we applicants should do when a program that we have been waitlisted on (officially or unofficially by missing the first and second waves of interviews) offers us an interview on a date that is conflicting with another program?I guess this becomes more of an issue when the original program that you have an interview with is viewed, in the applicant's eyes, as inferior (for whatever reason) compared to the waitlisted one. Obviously, if the waitlisted program is upper tier, close to home, and would be a great fit for you as compared other one that is across the country and not so great, you should cancel the original interview. However, how about programs that are fairly equal in comparison?I am only asking because previous posts and opinions of others going through the match have suggested that when you interview for a program you were on a waitlist for, you are just acting a "warm body" to fill the interview spot...that the program has pretty much made up their mind of the top applicants they are going to rank before you even arrive. Does anyone have conflicting or supporting evidence for this thought? Is it a mistake to cancel an interview from a program that didn't pass on you the first time for a slightly superior program that only granted you an interview after someone else cancelled? Perhaps some residents could let us know whether they did or did not match at programs that they were waitlisted for and what the interview felt like for the waitlisted programs?Also, I don't mind, but there is no way to create a post anonymously (unless I don't see the button anywhere).
Curious about this as well. I recently was granted an interview with a program that, while not "superior", was somehwhere I'd rather be than the other program that was interviewing on the same date (which is a great program, too). I simply went with "where would I rather end up?". It didn't matter to me at the time that I was a "warm body" to fill an interview spot. You never know how you might come off in an interview, so I think, for me at least, it was important to go interview at a place I had hoped to get all along. Heck, it at least gives me a chance to see a city I've never seen and MAY never see again...But I am still curious as to what others think about this as well.
"Warm body filling an interview spot" isn't necessarily true. I know someone who got their first choice last year, and he got the interview at this place after coming off the waitlist. Everyone's apps are so competitive in this field that there probably is not much difference (if any) between the invitees and the waitlisted. A similar situation has already happened to me, and I picked the program that I would rank higher of the two with the date conflict. For me, this happened to be the program where I came off the waitlist. (Also, "Post Anonymously" is a check off box between subject and comment)